Book and Blog Entry 3

Blah…Blah…Blog! Another day another lesson to be learned! I love it! Today’s blog has a method that can be used for students to learn the terminology in social studies more effectively. We start with a method called “Key Phrase Journal[ing].” The Key Phrase Journal (Brindle and Hatcher 1996) is used to assist students by incorporating new social studies vocabulary and terminology into the students writing. To begin, a teacher would used some of the key words during the social studies lesson and ask the students to use the terms as a journal entry.

By incorporating this strategy into a lesson on a regular basis this allows the students to develop a concrete understanding of the terms being used and in turn the students will be more willing to use them in writing. In order to get better results (my personal opinion) a teacher should use this method during a reading section of the class and ask the students to generate words that they felt were confusing or needed more clarity. This will allow the students time to think about these words and research the how and why associated with the terms.

An example from the text book that I am reading goes as follows:

Key Words:

Code of Hammurabi, gods, rules, punishments, preserved, Babylonia, ancient times

Journal Entry:

The Code of Hammurabi is one of the best preserved sets of laws from ancient times. It lists the rules of the Babylonian society. The punishments ranged from small fines to death. Hammurabi wrote the set of laws to please the gods.

This is a fantastic example of how a student could journal. It incorporates all the key terms and puts them into a few sentences that make them easy to remember.

Another way to incorporate this method into a lesson would be to pre-determine what words you (the teacher) might feel the students would struggle with and address those terms throughout the lesson. Clark suggests, “Throughout the reading lesson or activity, introduce the words and use them in sentences or point them out in the text. Discuss the meanings of the words with the students. After the lesson, or later that day, write the list of words and phrases on the board and instruct the students to write an entry in their journals using those words” (Clark, 85).

By following this method in its entirety, a teacher can allow the students to utilize several aspects needed to understand the confusing terms and in turn promote a better learning environment within the class room. If the students practice this method on a regular basis, they will be able to understand the concepts easier and make a somewhat boring subject more enjoyable.